News

The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) held its 16th Steering Committee Meeting for Activating the National Strategy for the Aviation Sector today in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The meeting was chaired by H.E. Abdulaziz Al-Duailej, President of the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), with the attendance of H.E. Ahmed Al-Hassan, the Assistant Minister of Transport and Logistics Services, along with Vice Presidents, CEOs, officials, and managers representing companies and national carriers operating in the civil aviation sector in Saudi Arabia.

In his address, H.E. the President of GACA highlighted the sustained growth of Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation sector. Passenger numbers reached 34.9 million during the first quarter of 2025, marking an 8.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024. The sector also demonstrated operational excellence during the Ramadan and Eid Al-Fitr seasons, with airports across the Kingdom handling more than 6.8 million domestic and international passengers. This performance reflects the strong coordination between government and private entities, contributing to the sector’s continued momentum following the record-breaking achievements of 2024.

H.E. the President of GACA emphasized the importance of early preparations for the Hajj season, highlighting the need to intensify efforts, provide comprehensive facilities, and mobilize human and technical resources to serve the guests of Allah and to ensure their comfort, safety and peace of mind. H.E. also affirmed the valuable support provided by the wise leadership in harnessing all efforts, capabilities, and resources to serve pilgrims and facilitate the performance of their rituals with ease and reassurance.

The meeting also reviewed major achievements in the aviation sector, including the securing by four major airports in Saudi Arabia of advanced rankings in the Skytrax 2025 Awards, across various categories. Additionally, 22 airports operated by the Cluster2 company obtained Airport Carbon Accreditation, ranking the Kingdom first in the Middle East and second in Asia in terms of the number of accredited airports. Furthermore, the Saudi Group topped global airline rankings for on-time performance for March, according to the latest Cirium Aviation Analytics report.

Riyadh Air received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC), paving the way for the launch later this year of its scheduled flights to and from Saudi Arabia's airports. The first batch of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) also arrived at Red Sea International Airport, enabling Fly Red Sea to operate flights with low carbon emissions. Additionally, Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport saw the inauguration in March of its electronic gates service.

Moreover, GACA launched its new integrated digital platform “Ajwaa”, while unveiling its new corporate identity and launching a redesigned official website. These moves reflected the dynamic transformation of the Kingdom’s aviation sector and its vital role in supporting national economic growth, while contributing to the Saudi Vision 2030 goals. GACA also announced the launch of a tender this month for the operation of on-demand private aircraft flights.

Other topics discussed at the meeting included updates regarding the activation of the National Aviation Sector Strategy, progress made on the recommendations of the 15th Steering Committee meeting, the achievements of national companies and carriers operating in Saudi Arabia's airports, and their alignment with the overall aviation strategy.

As part of the committee’s 16th meeting, GACA awarded the economic license to Swissport for ground handling services. This step aims to enhance service levels for passengers and is part of Swissport’s expansion plan, which now includes operations at Taif International Airport, Abha International Airport, Hail International Airport, Al Jawf Airport, Prince Abdul Mohsin bin Abdulaziz Airport, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport, and King Abdullah International Airport.

It is worth noting that the National Strategy for the Aviation Sector aims to double the sector’s capacity to more than 330 million passengers annually from over 250 global destinations. It also seeks to increase cargo capacity to 4.5 million tons of goods by 2030.